It Ain't Me, Babe
by Jashire
Summary: Inspired by the song "It Ain't Me, Babe" by Bob Dylan. Sometimes the person you long for the most isn't the person you're meant to be with after all. Future fic, after the Titans have disbanded. Focused on one-sided Rob/Star, some Rob/Rae. COMPLETE!
1. Hiding

**So…eheheh. I haven't been updating the Caged Bird lately…but trust me, I'm working on the next chapter right now! But in the meantime, I started writing this little story. I was listening, for the first time, to Bob Dylan's song "It Ain't Me, Babe"****a few days ago, and it got stuck in my head. Well, I was thinking about it, and I realized this song really fits how I think the relationship between Robin and Starfire is eventually going to turn out, so I sat down and just typed away. It was…supposed to be a one-shot, but so far, I've been working on it and it's been getting to be a really **_**long **_**one-shot…so I figured it be easier to read if I just split it into chapters and made it into a story…I should have the rest up in two or three days, so…yeah. **

…**Um, I know most people know this, but just in case, Robin=**Richard Grayson, **Starfire=**Kori Anders, **Beast Boy=**Garfield Logan, **Cyborg=**Victor Stone, **Raven=**Raven (lol..that wasn't necessary), **Bumblee=**Karen Beecher, **Speedy=**Roy Harper, **Aqualad=**Garth, **Kid Flash=**Wally West

**I don't want to talk anymore, so…please read and review afterwards!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. It belongs to DC comics and Cartoon Network. Yeah.**

_Go away from my window  
Leave at you own chosen speed  
I'm not the one you want, babe  
I'm not the one you need  
_**-Bob Dylan, "It Ain't Me, Babe"**

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

It was late afternoon. The sun streamed across the roofs of homes lining the street in a quaint little suburb. There was a particular cozy looking yellow one at the end of the row. The bushes out front were all trimmed, although they seemed a bit misshapen, as if the person who'd been cutting them had tried to form them to look a certain way, but found it more difficult than they'd thought it would be and had just given up. The grass was cut, but not quite evenly; patches of grass were higher in some places than in others, as if the person who'd been mowing it had had a bit of trouble with the lawnmower. Several tulips lined the path up to the front porch, but some stuck out at odd angles, as if the person who'd planted them had tried to make them all nice and straight but had failed. There were plenty other little odds and ends about the little yellow house, but it still had its undeniable charm and inviting warmth.

Slightly flawed but still as enchanting as ever beauty. Words to describe not only the house but the resident of said house. She sat in the kitchen at the dining table, drumming her fingers on the wood. Her carnation pink summer dress stood out against the tan, practically orange tone of her skin. She crossed her long, shapely legs and tapped her foot impatiently. At six foot four, the twenty-three year old seemed as if she was a model, yet she still had that air of childlike innocence. She was naïve and one of the kindest souls you'd ever meet, but anyone who would take that kindness for weakness would greatly regret it; the young woman was strong enough to toss a sixteen wheeler a few hundred yards without even breaking a sweat. She brushed back her long, wavy red hair and turned her sparkling emerald eyes to the wall clock.

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

It was 5:30. She sighed, propping an elbow onto the table, her chin on her hand. It had been nearly four hours since her boyfriend had left on a trip to the post office and then the grocery store.

'Surely it cannot take _this _long to do such simple errands?' she thought to herself.

She was about to resign to their bedroom to take a nap when she heard a car pulling up in the driveway. She shot out of her chair and in her excitement flew toward the front door, forgetting she wasn't supposed to do so. The lock clicked and the doorknob turned as a young man with jet black hair walked in with two paper bags filled with groceries. Before he could even close the door, she was there, coming to a sudden stop a few inches away from him. He looked up, surprised.

"Richard!" she proclaimed in absolute joy. "You are finally home! Why have you--?"

"Kori!" he whispered frantically. He stepped outside, looking down the street to see if anyone was watching. The coast clear, he went back in, shutting the door behind him with his foot. Putting down what he was carrying, he rounded on her.

"What are you doing?! You know someone could have seen you--!"

"But there is no one here," she answered, cutting him off. "Our neighbors have all went out, it is entirely empty!"

"Still…" He took off his shades and put them in the pocket of his black leather jacket. He blinked, adjusting his cerulean blue eyes to the light. He was six feet, a young man at twenty four years old. He was lean, disguising the fact that he did indeed have muscles. He had a beautiful face, not hard and sharp but not too round either. He had boyish features that made him look soft and gentle at times but could easily change into a look of cold, intense hatred. He was intelligent and strong, driven yet stubborn, perhaps one of the most stubborn people you'll ever meet. He worked hard, but was a known workaholic, always putting his work first. You could always see it in his tired eyes. He ran his hand through his short but longish dark hair that framed his face as he picked up the bags once again and headed for the kitchen, his girlfriend floating a foot above the floor, on his tail.

"You never know if someone's hiding out there," he continued as he walked down the hall. "And _they're _always there when you _least _expect it; they'll try to get you when you're off guard and--"

"Yes, I understand," she cut in, hoping to be spared the lecture. "I have understood it the past _hundred_ times you have told me, Richard. I am being as careful as possible."

He put the bags down on the counter and turned around. "Just…don't do it again, okay?"

She smiled sadly, landing softly on the ground. "…Yes. I won't."

"Good." He proceeded to take out the groceries one by one and put them away in the refrigerator and pantry. She watched him walk around, back and forth. "Um…Richard?"

"Hmm?"

"Why were you gone for so long? I had even finished making my Tamaranian cake for us to share tonight and had much time to spare sitting and waiting for you to return. Surely the 'shopping for the groceries' would not have been so…time consuming?"

He answered while putting things away in the cupboards, not looking back at her. "Well, there was a really long line at the post office and there was a huge hold up at the supermarket since they were short on cashiers…"

"But…four hours, Richard?"

"I know…I would've gotten home sooner if it hadn't been for the four car accident on the freeway--"

"_Accident?_" She sounded overly worried, as she always was with these things. "What happened? Were people hurt? Oh, I hope no one was killed!"

He slightly winced at the sudden rise in volume and tone of her already high pitched voice. "Star, it really wasn't that bad…watch the news tonight, it'll probably be on."

"So…they're all okay?"

"_Yes,_" he said, slightly but unintentionally annoyed. He put away the milk and eggs and shut the fridge door. Straightening up, he turned to see her, still concerned about his news.

"Kori…" He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, they're fine. You know that if they weren't, I wouldn't have just stood aside and done nothing, right?"

She nodded slowly. He sighed, putting his other hand on her other shoulder, staring into her eyes. "I know it's been hard for you to just stay here all the time and not go out and be superheroes like we used to, but… "

She took a step back from him. "I…I understand, Richard. I am…fine. Truthfully, I am." She took his hand in hers. "But, thank you for comforting me." She smiled sweetly.

He slowly returned the smile, but pulled away from her, loosening his hand from her grasp. Her smile faltered as he turned around and walked out of the kitchen. She frowned and was about to fly but remembered she wasn't supposed to and instead ran after him.

"Richard!" she called. He stood in the hall, grabbing his sleek, black helmet and straightening out his leather jacket. "Where are you going? You just got home and--"

"I just remembered I forgot to give Gar back the camera we borrowed from him two weeks ago," he said, putting his shades back on. "And I haven't taken out my bike for a while…I'll probably go for a drive afterwards." He grabbed the keys to his Harley-Davidson from the top shelf and opened the front door. "I might be gone for a while, so if you're hungry, don't wait up for me to eat."

"Wait," she grabbed his left arm. "You've already been out for so long, I don't understand--"

"I'll be fine, Kori." She let go and he walked out, shutting the door behind him. She stood there, listening to the sound of his motorcycle revving up and speeding down the street. She stayed there for a moment and then sighed. She may be naïve, but she'd been living with him long enough to tell when he was hiding something. Shoulders slumped forward, she trudged into the living room on her way to their bedroom. As she bent down to pick up the remote to turn the TV off, she caught sight of Gar's digital camera on the coffee table.

Her eyes began to tear up. She dropped the remote and ran upstairs. She needed someone to talk to.

**Yeah, that's kind of…shorter than usual, but I think it's better to have it like this, in short chapters, than in one, super, ridiculously long one-shot. So…what do you think of it? I know, I suck at romance stuff, but I thought I'd give it a try with this story. As for the plot…well, we'll see when we get there. I think it sucks…but that's the way I am…very self-degrading. Haha.**

…**Ok, that made me sound emo. I am not EMO! No, no, no...anywho, please review and tell me what you think so far!**


	2. Promise Me

…**Second chapter. Yeah.**

**I'll put this up ever y chapter just as a reference…for anyone who needs it: Robin=**Richard Grayson, **Starfire=**Kori Anders, **Beast Boy=**Garfield Logan, **Cyborg=**Victor Stone, **Raven=**Raven (lol..that wasn't necessary), **Bumblee=**Karen Beecher, **Speedy=**Roy Harper, **Aqualad=**Garth, **Kid Flash=**Wally West

**Disclaimer: Me no own Teen Titans. Hehe.**

_You say you're looking for someone never weak but always strong  
To protect you and defend you, whether you are right are wrong  
Someone to open each and every door  
But it ain't me, babe, no, no, no, it ain't me, babe  
It ain't me you're looking for, babe  
_**-Bob Dylan, _It Ain't Me, Babe_**

"…Richard?"

A surprised young woman opened the door of her apartment to see the windswept and disheveled young man standing in the hall.

"What're you doing here? I thought tonight was--"

She was cut off as he grabbed her and crushed his lips to hers. They stepped inside; he kicked the door closed and kissed her with all the passion he'd been repressing since the last time he'd seen her. She had tried to resist, but gave in to his kiss as he pressed her up against a wall. He ran his hands up and down her sides as she ran her hands through his hair. They eventually slowed down to soft, gentle kisses and parted. He rested his forehead on hers, breathing heavily. She closed her eyes, her chest heaving.

As they caught their breaths, she slowly pushed him off her. He stepped a couple of feet back and she straightened up. "Richard…"

"Raven, I…I'm sorry, I just…I needed to see you," he confessed as he followed her past the sitting room into the kitchen. He sat at one of the barstools in front of the island as she got him something to drink. "I just can't take this anymore."

"Well, you're going to have to just get used to it." She opened her stainless steel refrigerator and bent down to look for something. "What do you want?" she asked. "I've got Pepsi, orange and apple juice…or I could make you some tea if you want..."

"You don't have anything _else?"_

"Richard, I don't drink, you know that…" She pulled out the liter bottle of Pepsi and poured him a glass. She handed it to him and he thanked her. She leaned on the counter, watching him with her amethyst eyes as he gulped it down. She was the same age as he was, twenty-four, and stood at five foot six. She no longer had the short violet hair she had once had when they were young; knowing it would make her too recognizable, she had dyed it black and let it grow out just past her shoulders. She wore an oversized white t-shirt and black boy shorts, choosing to walk around barefoot in her apartment. Since their teenage days, she was always known as the quiet one, wanting to just watch and observe rather than participate in any activities. She was smart and witty and the renowned queen of sarcasm, always making dry, sarcastic comments. It always seemed as if she hid her true self behind a wall, hardly ever expressing her emotions. But despite her cold exterior, she was a caring person, always putting her friends' well being before her own. Knowing what it was like to be alone, she never took her friendships for granted.

"...I still don't know why you're here," she said.

He put the empty glass down on the black marble top. "I told you…"

"That's not what I meant." She refilled his glass with more Pepsi and handed it back. "You should be at home with Kori. You do remember what today is?"

He nodded. "So why aren't you with her on your third anniversary?"

He sighed as he took his shades off and put them down. "I can't take it anymore," he told her for the second time.

When he didn't elaborate, she looked up. "Well?" she asked. "Continue."

"This just…it isn't the life for me, Rae." He took another swig of soda. "Living in the suburbs, in a two bedroom _yellow _house, of all the colors in the rainbow. Working at a nine to five job with people I don't even like. Having to drive a _Volvo _to work, to the supermarket, to anywhere we have to go. And having to be with Kori…"

He trailed off, gazing outside the window above her kitchen sink at the setting sun. "I was never sure of what we had. Even when we were still teenagers, when we first went out, I still wasn't sure of what I felt for her. I had strong feelings, but I realized they never went past the bonds of friendship." He absentmindedly played with his empty glass. "And then after the Titans disbanded, she wanted us to get our own place and live together. I wasn't as…excited about the idea as she was, but I didn't want to hurt her, so I said 'Yes'. But we've been there for a year now, and I just..." He met her gaze. "I'm not as happy as I thought I was going to be."

She studied him for a minute before speaking. "She loves you, you know."

"I know she does," he answered as he ran his hand through his hair. "And I do, too, but…not in the same way. Just as a friend, as a little sister, even. So that's why it…it's hard for me to even look at her now. To see how sad she is, and how she's getting sadder every day. And it's all because I'm…I'm _hurting _her," he said in a pain-filled voice.

"Then stop it." He looked up, surprised.

"W-What?"

"Stop it," she repeated firmly. "If you don't want to keep hurting her, then don't."

She was always like that. Blunt and to the point. It was one of the things he loved about her, but right now, her lack of explanation slightly irked him. "Care to explain?"

"If you don't love her the way she needs to be loved, then tell her so. Star deserves more than a boyfriend who only pretends to feel the same way about her. Instead of trying to act like nothing's wrong, instead of trying to keep what you have going, just…sit her down and tell her the truth. It's the least that you can give her, Robin." She was the only he still allowed to call him by that name. "Besides…she isn't the only one being hurt in this relationship."

He placed his hand on hers. "Raven, I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling even guiltier. "I know you're tired of us having to be together in secret, and you deserve more than that…"

She put a hand up to silence him. "It's okay, I'm fine. I just want you to come clean to Kori, Rich. Promise me you will."

"…"

"_Robin…_"

"I know, I know…" he looked away, but she pulled his chin to make him face her. She knew him all too well; she knew that if she didn't make him promise her he'd do it, he never would go through with it.

"If you love me like you said you did when we were teenagers, then you'll make this promise to me."

"Raven…" He ran his hand up and down her arm, never getting enough of the feel of her soft, pale skin beneath his fingertips. "Of course I love you. I did all those years ago, and I still do."

"…Then say it."

He hesitated before finally looking up at her. "I..."

"Yes?"

"I'll tell her. But not tonight…soon. I'll tell her soon. I just need to think of what to say."

"Just tell her what you told me."

"It's…more complicated than that, Rae. Kori's always set her heart on being with me for the rest of our lives. She doesn't see any other guy except for me. The thing is…she has this vision of her perfect man. She wants someone who will protect her, defend her no matter what. Someone who will always be there for her, to talk to her, to get her flowers, to cherish her, to give her all his attention, _all _the time. And she thinks that that man is me. But…it's not."

"'It ain't me you're looking for, babe'?"

He looked up. "…What?"

"Bob Dylan?"

"Oh…yeah, I guess it does fit, doesn't it?"

She nodded. He continued. "I know it's not me…as a matter of fact, I've _always _known it wasn't. Maybe that's why I was a bit hesitant to even start a relationship with her."

"'I will only let you down…'"

"…Okay seriously, you need to stop."

She laughed. "Sorry…"

He smiled. "Anyway…it's difficult to let her know how I feel because I know how strongly she feels about me and I just…I don't want to see her heartbroken. And to know she was heartbroken because of me…" He leaned his head on his hand. "That'd be _unbearable._"

"She's my friend, too, Rich. And to be honest...I would rather see her upset but knowing the truth than living in a fake, made up happiness, being the only one who doesn't know what's going on. I want her to be happy. Real happiness, Robin. She should be able to love and _be _loved in return."

"Is that Nat King Cole this time?"

"…What?"

"You're quoting 'Nature Boy', right?"

She hit him as he laughed. "That was just a coincidence. But, seriously…" She put his hands in hers and he stopped kidding around. "Just tell her. She's not as soft as she was back then, and not as…obstinate as she used to be. She'll be willing to listen, Robin. If she loves you like we both know she does…she'll understand."

"But will she let me go?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.

She looked right back, and after leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, answered, "…I don't know. The only way to find out is to tell her. So--"

She was cut off as the phone rang. Letting go of his hands, she stood and went into the sitting room, answering it.

"Hello?"

"R-Raven? Are you (sniff) occupied, friend?"

Her eyes widened. She covered the receiver with her hand and mouthed, "It's Kori!"

He sighed and put his head down on the counter as she returned to the phone. "Uh, no, not at all Star. Is…is something wrong? You're crying…"

He sighed even louder, feeling like the biggest asshole in the world.

She put a finger up to her lips as the upset young woman continued on the other end.

"I…I just needed someone to talk to, and I felt that you would be the best person to turn to…I am (sniff) sorry if I am taking up any of your time--"

"_No!_ Kori, it's fine…I'll listen, don't worry." She looked at him, shooing him away, towards the door. He gave her a 'Do I _have _t_o?' _look, but she just ignored him. Sighing, once again, he put his shades back on, pulled himself off the stool and let himself out.

She watched him leave and then plopped down on the maroon sofa. "So…what is it? Although I think I have a feeling I know what it is…"

"It's…it's Richard, Raven. He has been (sniff) hiding something from me, but I am perplexed as to what it is. He has been going out by himself, more and more often, and I know he is lying about his whereabouts; I can see it in his face. In fact, he went out now, perhaps an hour ago…" She stopped to blow her nose. "I am at a loss at what to do, friend!"

"Kori, just…be patient. You know as well as I that he can be incredibly stubborn…if he decides to tell you, he'll do it when he's good and ready. Don't nag him…just let him come out on his own."

"Yes…perhaps you are correct, Raven. I, too, think that agitating him any further will make him withdraw even more, like what had happened earlier today when I confronted him about why he had been gone for so long."

"And if you need me or any of the others to, we'll talk to him, okay?"

"Okay," She smiled on the other end. "But I am afraid Victor will, as he said, 'Beat the crap out of him' if he finds out…"

She laughed at the thought. "Yeah…but I think a good beating is exactly what Richard needs to wake up and realize he's doing something wrong…"

"Oh, but I do not wish for him to be hurt!"

She sweat dropped. "Um…I didn't really mean it _that _way, Kori…but nevermind!" She put in quickly before Kori could go any further. "Just…try to relax and not stress out about it too much, okay? Stressing over problems won't solve them."

"I will, friend. Thank you for listening."

"It's not a problem, Kori."

"Oh! Friend Raven, wait!"

She had just been about to put down the phone. "Yes?"

"Um…I had just been wondering if you had any idea where Richard may have been going?"

'Shit.' "I'm not really sure…he may have been going out to the bar with Roy and the guys or something…you know how they are sometimes,' she answered, lying through her teeth.

"Oh. Maybe I should call Roy or Victor--?"

"No! I mean…I don't think you should worry about it, Kori. Like I said, just wait until Richard decides to open up and talk about it…I'm sure it's nothing to worry about…" Lie number two.

"Yes…I suppose you are right. Well, good night friend Raven. I will see you this weekend at Karen's birthday party!"

'Oh yeah…It's this Saturday.' "Ok. See you then. Bye."

"Goodbye."

She hung up and sighed. 'Richard…you better tell her soon, because if you don't…' She looked towards her balcony, out at the city lights. '…I think I may have to.'

**A bit of Rob/Rae this time. Rob/Rae is usually the pairing I read about and write about, but I felt like focusing on Starfire for a bit, too…so even though there is some Rob/Rae, the story will be centered on Rob/Star…but it's one-sided Rob/Star. **

**So what did you think? I'm gonna try to include all the characters I listed at the top at least once or twice...next chapter is gonna be Robin hanging out with the guys, so I hope I can write that okay…we'll see :)**

**I'm getting tons of hits, but no one's reviewed yet…pretty, pretty please! When I finish the third chapter, I'll dedicate it to the first person who reviews...but don't just say, "…Yeah. It was good," and that's it! I want comments, critiques…ideas you have that I can use to improve the story…especially the plot…**


	3. Happiness

**So…chapter 3. The halfway point. I'm planning for this to only be six chapters long…since I divided the song into six parts, if you've been noticing that since the first chapter…ehehe. Actually, it was originally only going to be three or four chapters, but I felt it would progress too fast, so I added more events in the story…I hope it turns out okay _**

**I know that the characters seem kinda OOC, but I'm trying to picture how they'd all act like once they got into their mid twenties and weren't Teen Titans anymore, how'd they be like if they'd gotten over all their teenage problems, like Raven's indifference or Beast Boy's antics. (That's why Raven seems…I dunno, I guess more open and caring, like when she was talking on the phone to Starfire). How would they all be if they suddenly had to learn to live as ordinary people, not superheroes? If they had jobs, or lived in city apartments or in the suburbs, and had to drive cars around or catch the bus instead of fly or teleport…what would that be like?**

**But since this is only a one-shot, I'm not gonna really get **_**too **_**much into that…it's mostly focused on the one sided Rob/Star relationship, anyway.**

**Oh yes, I didn't forget! This chapter is dedicated to **Sleeping Rain**, the first person who reviewed! Yay…and also, thank you to **DeathIsOnlyTheBeginin**, thanks for your 'writing fuel'! ^_^**

**Here, once again, are all the aliases: Robin=**Richard Grayson, **Starfire=**Kori Anders, **Beast Boy=**Garfield Logan, **Cyborg=**Victor Stone, **Raven=**Raven (lol..that wasn't necessary), **Bumblee=**Karen _Beecher_, **Speedy=**Roy Harper, **Aqualad=**Garth, **Kid Flash=**Wally West

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans…not mine.**

_Go lightly from the ledge, babe  
Go lightly on the ground  
I'm not the one you want, babe  
I will only let you down  
_**-Bob Dylan, _It Ain't Me, Babe_ **

Richard was on his motorcycle on his way home, stopping at an intersection. He pulled up next to a red Ferrari, with the driver's side window rolled down. He could hear the passengers' conversation as he waited for the light to turn green. The three voices sounded really familiar…

"…and I'm really hungry, man. When we get to your house, Roy, I'm taking that slice of Boston Cream Pie I saw in your fridge earlier."

"What?!"

"Hey, are you guys even listening to me?"

"…No, not really."

"I _said _I need advice on what to get Karen for her birthday. I still haven't gotten a gift yet, and--"

"What the hell, Garth? We've been planning it for weeks, and you're waiting only _now _to get something?"

"Why don't you just ask Vic? He's her boyfriend; he should know what she wants…"

"…_Ooook."_

"What?"

"….That just sounded _so _wrong."

He heard the sound of someone getting punched. "Sicko. Anyway, ask Vic, like I said…_not _like that…Roy, get you're immature mind of the damn gutter. Or if you want my advice, just get her something simple, like a necklace or something…." A pause. " …Hey, wait a minute. You and Roy lived with her for _years _at the Titans East tower…Why the hell don't you know what she likes?"

"I didn't say I didn't know what she likes, I just said that I didn't know what to get her!"

"…Wait. So you don't know what to get her, but you know what she likes? That doesn't make any sense…"

"_You _don't make any sense, Wally."

"Roy, shut up."

"Don't tell me you three have been arguing for the whole car ride," Richard interrupted.

The passengers and driver looked outside the driver's window at him.

"Rich!" Wally, the red headed driver exclaimed.

"Hey, you're driving the Harley….what happened to your 'hot' _Volvo?"_ asked Roy, the other red head with shades on in the back seat.

The three laughed as Richard rolled his eyes.

"So…what's up? Where're you going?" asked Garth, the young man with short black hair in the passenger's seat.

"Well…I was kind of heading home--"

"Hey, you should come with us," said Wally. "We're going over to Roy's house."

"Yeah…Vic and Gar _were _gonna come, too, but Vic wasn't feeling too well, and Gar…what did Gar say he had to do?" asked Roy.

"I dunno…"

"…Didn't he say he had to finish watching the DVDs he borrowed from the video store? He had to return them before they closed tonight," said Garth.

"Well, why didn't he just bring them with him? We all could've just watched them," the driver wondered, confused.

"Wally, what kind of videos do you _think _Gar watches?" asked Roy.

A long pause…

"…_Ewww…"_ said the other two in unison. Richard laughed.

"Hey, so are you coming or not?" asked the red head in the back.

"Uh, I don't know if I should…"

"Aw, come on, I'm sure Kori wouldn't mind, right?" insisted Wally.

"Yeah, she's nice…unless you follow orders from your girl now…" said Roy, teasingly. "What, does wittle Wobin have to come home when mommy tells him too?"

The two laughed as Garth rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to these two idiots here…if you don't want to, Rich, you don't have to go. And anyway, we know today's your special day with Kori, so…"

The driver was confused. "What special day?"

Garth slapped his forehead. "It's their anniversary, Wally."

"Really? Oh man, sorry about that, uh…yeah, like Garth said, if you wanna head on home, go ahead, we won't stop you…"

The ex-archer had grown unusually quiet. Richard thought about it. Looking at his watch, he saw it was only 7:20. He wouldn't be gone that long, and he was sure Kori was preoccupying herself with her various hobbies. Still, he felt bad for leaving her alone in the house for so long since 1:30. And they _were _right, it was their anniversary…whether he cared to admit it or not. But every time he thought about it, it made him feel the complete opposite of what he should be feeling. It twisted his stomach into knots and made him a bit nauseous; it was the biggest hurdle he always needed to overcome in this make-believe relationship they had. And his talk with Raven had only seemed to add a heap of guilt onto all that. Hanging out with the guys seemed like exactly what he needed to take his mind off it all…

"Dude, hurry up, the light's about to turn green," Roy called from the backseat.

"You know," started the driver. "I think this is the _longest _red light I've _ever _seen."

"That's just because you're always going so fast…with or without your car," Roy commented.

"Um…" Richard started. "Actually, I think I _will _take you up on your offer. Kori's fine; I'll call to check up on her once we get there."

"You sure?" asked Garth.

"Yeah, we don't want to pressure you or anything," Wally added.

"No, no, it's fine, really. I'll…I'll go with you guys." He swallowed. 'I promise Rae,' he thought. 'I _will _tell her…just…not tonight.'

"Well…okay, man. If you say so." The driver's eyes flicked upwards as the other stoplight finally changed to yellow. He revved the engine. "See you at the house!"

"Yeah…we'll be _inside,_ waiting!" Roy called tauntingly.

"Oh, don't be so sure you'll get there first," Richard said, playing along.

"Well, we'll see, won't we?" Wally answered back, with a smirk. (Author's note: Wow, that was a lot of W's in that sentence!)

The light changed to green and they were off, speeding down the street.

TT

"…How the hell could you have lost, Wally!"

The four were heading into Roy's house after parking their rides in his garage.

Richard laughed as he watched the two red heads bicker.

"I don't know, Roy--"

"I mean, come on, you own a _Ferrari, _and you _still _lost to him!"

"Well, his motorcycle is a hell of a lot smaller than a car…of course he can weave his way in and out of traffic way faster than we ever could!"

"Calm down, Roy," Garth interrupted before it went any further. "It was just a game--"

"But I still c_annot _believe what just happened….can you?"

"…Uh, yeah."

"Why don't we just…sit down and relax," Richard stepped in. "Like Garth said, it was just a game, just a friendly race...nothing to get excited about…"

Still adhering to their former leader they stopped their arguing and plopped down on the sofa and armchairs, one mumbling to himself, arms crossed. It was a nice house, a two bedroom with enough space to not feel stuffy or crowded but with not too much space to feel awkwardly lonely. It was decorated tastefully enough, not too old but not too modern. The walls were a nice shade of olive green, the hardwood floors a matching mahogany. The place gave off a warm and cozy feel, yet if you took a look you could still tell it was the home of a bachelor. It was only ten minutes away from the city, not too far from its life and excitement yet far enough to have a little peace and quiet. It was perfect for Roy.

"So…" Richard began, looking around the living room. "Your place looks pretty good, Roy. When did the renovations finish?"

"Around last week," he said offhandedly, getting up and walking over to the kitchen.

"It looks entirely different, though," Garth commented.

"It must've taken a lot of money to fix it up," Wally said, taking off his brown jacket.

"Actually, it wasn't so bad," Roy called, opening the stainless steel fridge and taking out a couple of beers. "Ollie knew some people, got them to pull a few strings…you know what I mean." (Author's Note: Green Arrow=Oliver Queen, Roy's mentor from the Justice League when he was younger).

Wally got up. "Need some help?"

"Uh, yeah, could you carry a couple of drinks—" In a flash, Wally ran from the kitchen and back, a complete blur. Before Roy had even stepped out of the kitchen with a bowl of potato chips, the drinks were already sitting on his glass coffee table. Wally was back on the sofa next to Richard, looking as if he hadn't even moved.

"—for me?" Wally laughed as Roy walked back, putting down the bowl. "Sheesh, Wally, at least warn me before you decide to do that; I almost dropped the damn bottles!"

"Even if you had, I would've caught them." He grabbed a beer, popping open the top and putting his feet up on the table.

Roy glared and threw a pillow at him. "Get your feet off!"

Richard chuckled. It was just like old times, just hanging out, either at their Tower on the West Coast or the Titans East's one out in Steel City. He sighed internally. Sometimes he missed those days when they were still carefree teenagers, spending days just fighting crime, none of the boring, everyday things like going to school to be stuck with. They could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. They lived lives other kids could _imagine._ Now it seemed as if it was only a dream, and that he'd woken up ten years later to find himself living in the suburbs with a plain, mediocre job, working in an office for a fat, bald man that he never had liked from the get go. When had it all changed? Where had it all gone?

"…What happened to us?" Richard asked absentmindedly, staring at his reflection in the waxed, polished floor.

The other three looked up from a joke Wally was telling them. "What do you mean?" asked Garth.

"What happened to being heroes, to going out and saving people like we used to do? How did we get to be so…"

"…Normal?" Roy finished his sentence.

"Yeah…I mean, we live _ordinary _lives now. We have to hide our powers, our abilities. We have to change what we look like, how we dress, just to blend in with everybody else…Raven even had to make up an entirely new identity! It's just…" He ran a hand through his hair. "We aren't ourselves anymore. We're entirely different people. I'm just…I'm fed up with having to live a life I never wanted. I don't want to be miserable anymore."

After a long silence, Wally spoke. "Well…I'm happy." Richard looked up. Wally took a swig from his bottle. "I'm okay with my life. I mean, maybe cooking food for hundreds of people every day and night isn't exactly 'superhero' work, but I like my job. Yeah, I know being a chef can be pretty hectic to most people, but it's different for me…it's just at the right speed. I'm always so used to going fast, so it's almost like just moving at normal speed, I don't have a problem with it. And I love to cook, I've loved it ever since I was a kid in Keystone…and being able to share my recipes with so many other people, to see them happy, well it…it makes me happy."

"I am, too, I guess." Richard turned to Roy, who gulped down the last drops from his bottle. Putting it down, he continued, "Okay, well, maybe not at first…it's pretty obvious that out of all of us, _I _was the one who had the hardest time adjusting to a normal life after the Titans disbanded. I still wanted to fight crime, to catch the bad guys, and I couldn't believe that just because you all thought we were getting too old for it, that we needed to move on and 'pursue our future goals', whatever the hell that meant, that we needed to quit. 'Hell no' was my answer. But no one else seemed to agree with me, I guess.

"So yeah…that's when I hit a dead end. Didn't know what to do with myself, where to go. I mean, Ollie could've given me a job, easy enough, but I didn't want that. I wanted to take care of myself, for once. Thing was…I had no idea where to start. And then...well, you guys pretty much know what happened after that." He laughed, but in a pitiful kind of way.

The others sat silent, listening to Roy talk about his post-Titans history. They all knew it was a touchy subject with him, so it was rare to hear him talk about it so openly. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe he just feel like contributing to this unexpected 'sharing time'. Whatever it was, it was making him talk about the things he hardly ever put out in the open like this.

"Dammit…Even now, I can't believe I sunk so low, to practically becoming the scum that we stood against! I mean, getting addicted to heroin…it's just pathetic…"

"Roy…"

He put a hand up, stopping Garth from giving him words of comfort. "I'm just…I'm just glad I turned my life around, you know? If Raven and Dinah hadn't _made _me quit, I don't know if I'd be sitting here in front of you guys right now." He let out a sigh. "I'm eternally grateful to those two, for being there for me every step of that withdrawal. Rae does care more than she lets on." (Author's Note: Black Canary=Dinah Drake, another member of the Justice League)

Richard let a small smile slip. He knew what he meant. "But then, after I was clean, I finally started to move on with my life. I still wanted to go out there and help people, though. But now, I had a purpose. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I started out small, as a counselor in different drug recovery programs. And then, I eventually got to the big leagues, trading in my bow and arrows for guns and bullets, working for the government as a drug enforcement agent. And that's how I became the Roy Harper you see today. Maybe not running after costumed criminals, but still cracking down on drug lords here and overseas. I like what I do, and I like my life here in L.A., when I'm off duty. Life is good." He sat back, satisfied with his telling of part of his life story.

"Things haven't really changed for you, though, Garth," Wally pointed out. "You just had to move back to Atlantis, right?"

The Atlantean shook his head. "That was just it, though. _Moving _back to Atlantis, not just visits anymore but permanent residence once again was the problem. It wasn't as simple as it was supposed to be. Five years is a long time to be away from home, Wally. Things had changed while I was gone. While I was still a teen, before Gar and the others found me when Trident had been causing problems, I was one of Atlantis's superheroes. And then when I joined Titans East, I was a hero on both land and sea. But I couldn't keep up both; I had to choose one. And you know what choice I made. The thing was, when I came back, after all those years, I found Atlantis to be a different place. It didn't need heroes like me anymore. It could take care of itself. So that's where you'd be wrong, Wally. I did have to adjust. I did have to make changes. But it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Atlantis might have changed, but my friends there hadn't. And with their help I've settled, and I even have a fiancé now, as you all know. I must admit, even though I'm not 'Aqualad' anymore, I'm still satisfied with my life."

"So…" Roy started, turning to Richard. "To answer your question…nothing's really happened to us, Rich. Okay, maybe we don't dress up in latex uniforms and kick the asses of every bank robber and villain bent on 'world domination', but we're still…us. We aren't entirely different people. Maybe the way we live our lives is different, but we're still us. And we're still happy."

Richard was silent, taking in everything they'd said, and what Roy had said to sum it all up.

"_Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one! And girls they want to have fun…"_

Everyone jumped as Wally ran over to his jacket to answer his cell phone. "Hello? Yeah, I'm at Roy's…" He turned and shushed the other red head, who was laughing hysterically, while Richard raised an eyebrow at Wally and Garth just shook his head. "How's Vic doing?" he continued. "Yeah, we heard he was sick…oh, Rich and Garth are here, too." He pulled away for a moment. "Karen says hi."

"Hey Karen!"

"Hey."

"Hah…hah…Hi!" Roy struggled to get out as he was trying to stop laughing and recover his breath.

Wally rolled his eyes as he went back to his cell. "He's okay? That's good…mm hmm…yeah, I'll be there tomorrow, _with _Gar this time, even if I have to run over to his house, push him out of bed, and drag his sleepy ass all the way to Steel City…haha, yeah, I know…well, I'll see you and Vic tomorrow, then…huh? Oh yeah, I have it in my car. I'll just drop it off at Toni's before I drop off Garth and go home…yup. Okay, bye." He shut his phone and put it back in his jacket pocket. Walking slowly back, he dropped down onto the sofa. (Author's Note: Argent=Toni Monetti, another Teen Titan, but not really one of the main ones from the show…she was just kinda like an honorary Titan, so she's just mentioned)

"S-S-So…" Roy started, trying not to start cracking up again. "…You have a fetish for Cyndi Lauper now?"

Garth chuckled as Wally let out an exasperated sigh. "It's _Gar's _fault. Me, him, and Rae went out to lunch yesterday, and while I was in the restroom, he thought it be funny to change my ringtone to 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun', and _then_, to add icing on the cake, he set my phone to French." Roy almost choked on his second beer as he started to laugh again. "So now I have no idea how to get to the language menu to change it back to English. And yeah…now I'm stuck with…_that _every time my phone rings."

"Why don't you just ask Raven?" Garth asked.

"…What do you mean?"

"She studied French for a while when she was at college after the Titans ended. She might understand some of it."

"But when I asked her, she told me…" He trailed off, eyes widening as Garth caught on, and he too started laughing as Wally shook his head. "Oh, that is _cold_, Rae…_ice cold_…"

"Hey," Roy had finally settled down. "Didn't you have to go and drop off the stuff Karen borrowed from Toni?"

"Oh yeah, shit, I almost forgot," Wally said, getting up to grab his jacket.

Roy stared at him in amazement. "…What the _hell,_ Wally? You were just talking about it with Karen on the phone, how could you forget already?"

"Well, trying to defend myself and preserve my manhood kind of took my mind off it," he answered as he slipped his other arm into the sleeve. Garth stood and followed Wally towards the door.

"Give my regards to Kori about your anniversary, Rich!" the red head called back as he opened the front door. "See you guys Saturday!"

"Oh no," Garth remembered. "I still gotta get Karen's present…"

Roy chuckled as the two left. "Right where we started from…" He shook his head as he grabbed the empty bowl and beer bottles, taking them to the kitchen. "You want any more chips, Rich? Or…I have some leftover pizza from lunch, if you want that instead…"

Richard was silent from where he sat on the sofa. Roy peeked out at the living room. "…Rich?"

"Oh, uh…anything's fine with me."

He gave him a look, then shrugged. "Okay…"

Richard leaned back on the sofa, massaging his temples. He was having the worst headache right now, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

Roy came back with chips and pizza in tow. "Here."

"Thanks…"

The red head took a bite of his slice and studied him as he chewed. "You know," he started. "…It's not as bad as you think it is, Rich."

He opened his eyes and slowly turned his head. "…What are you talking about?" he muttered.

"Man, I know what your problem is. It's not so much of a mystery, I mean, everyone else knows how frickin' miserable you always are nowadays…okay, well maybe except for Gar and Wally, but yeah…"

Richard sat up straight, rolling his stiff shoulders back a couple of times. "Well, I'm sorry about what I said. I guess I really am the only one here who hates his life."

"But like I said man, it's not as bad as you think it is." He took a couple of chips from the bowl. They were puffs this time. He threw one at a time into the air and tried to catch them in his mouth.

Richard watched him warily. "…How could you even say that, Roy? It's not as simple as it looks."

Roy grinned as he finally caught one. "Okay…then," he said between bites. He swallowed. "Tell me about it."

Richard sighed, thinking of where to start. "Well, the whole reason I brought up that conversation about, you know, not being heroes anymore is because…I guess I just miss it. Kinda like you were saying you did, except…" He ran a hand through his hair, something he did every time he was stressed out. "It's different for me, Roy. Being a hero, fighting crime, maybe that was something you _wanted _to do, but for me…it's a part of me, Roy. Since I was a kid, fighting side by side with Batman, patrolling the streets in Gotham…I could've never imagined my life without it. And I really did think it was what I was always going to do, especially when Kori came back that one time from the future and told us all about Nightwing. But apparently, it's not going to happen…"

Roy offered him some chips but he shook his head. "This whole issue about living a normal, 'perfect' life…it has more to do with me just not wanting to be with Kori anymore." Roy looked up. "I don't want to live _this _life anymore. I want to be on the streets, not in an office. I want to live in the city, not in the suburbs. I want to ride my motorcycle around wherever I want, not a shiny silver Volvo from errand to errand. And I want to be with the person that I _want _to make happy, not who I feel that I'm forced to make happy."

He looked up at him. "This is what Kori wanted. And…I think it's time I finally stopped giving other people what they want and start doing what I want."

"...It's exactly what the rest of us figured, Rich." Roy took another bite of pizza. "You know, we're your friends. We know you better than you give us credit for."

"But…it's not like how you said, Roy. It's just as bad as I think it--"

"It's not, Rich, and I'll tell you why." He swallowed his last bite. "Okay, so you're_ finally_ realizing what we've been trying to get through to you for so long, that this isn't what you want anymore. Yippee. Now that you've gotten over _that _hill, the question is, what're you gonna do now? Well…you know _exactly _what you want, so that's not the problem. There's just one thing keeping you from all of that…and I don't think I need to spell it out for you."

He pushed the other slice of pizza towards him. Richard finally took it and began to eat. "…Just tell her, Rich. Tell Kori what you want. I mean…you just admitted that you don't want to be with Kori anymore, which, believe it or not, isn't coming off as a huge surprise to me." Richard looked up, taken slightly aback.

"…Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, just looking at the two of you together now, it's pretty obvious that _something's _not right. You guys are a young couple living together and have_ been_ together for three years now. You should be all over each other, but…there's just this awkwardness, this distance between you guys. Everyone's noticed it, too… but that's beside the point." He leaned forward, closer to Richard. "What I was saying was, you said you don't want Kori anymore…so why is it so hard for you to just talk to her about this? About breaking up and moving on?"

"That's the thing, Roy. Kori, she's…you know how she is. She might be one of the strongest people you and I know, but on the inside she's extremely sensitive and overly emotional. She doesn't take things like this as lightly as the rest of us do. She'd either burst into tears or strangle me and throw me off the roof…I don't like the idea of either one. Okay, so maybe I don't _love _her in the same way that she loves me, but…" He paused. "She's still one of my closest friends. And I don't want to break her heart."

"Rich…I think you really underestimate how strong, emotionally, Kori is now." He got up to throw away the paper plates and put the bowl in the kitchen sink. "She's not as naïve and innocent as she was when we were younger. She's matured a bit now…and I don't think she'll react the same way as she would've when we were still teenagers." He walked back and sat down. "You can't say that she'll break down that bad until you've told her the truth. Don't try and say you've got her all figured out so easily, Rich. You really don't know what she'll do until you just tell her."

Richard was surprised at the look that was on Roy's face as he defended Kori. He was being serious about this, as if this was something he'd been wanting to say for a long time. Richard had had a sneaking suspicion about Roy's feelings for the alien princess, but he wasn't entirely sure…until now. "You know, that's exactly what Raven told me when I went over to her place earlier."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow…my intellect is on the same level as the all wise and all intelligent Raven…let me just take this in for a moment."

Richard chuckled and watched him as raised his hands and took a deep breath in and out. "Seriously, though, she gave me the same advice as you did just now."

Roy opened one eye to glance at him. "…She's the one you meant when you were talking about 'being with the one you want to make happy', isn't she? You like her, don't you?" he asked teasingly.

"The same way you like Kori?"

Roy almost fell off his chair. Richard laughed. "Don't try to deny it, Roy," he cut in before Roy could start. "I've had a feeling for a while now that you wanted to be the one in my place, with her."

"…Well…"

"Trust me, once this is all over, you can have it. Just…" his voice took on a serious tone. "Make sure you take care of her, okay? Give her what I could never have given her…and just…make her happy. Please. She…she deserves to be happy."

Roy smiled. "Yeah…of course I will."

Richard's cell phone rang. He looked up at Roy's clock. It was quarter to nine already. He took out his phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Richard…" Kori answered in a worried voice.

"Oh hey…" His eyes met Roy's, who already knew who was calling. 'Go,' he mouthed.

Richard stood and walked towards the front door. "Yeah, I'm on my way home already…" He waved back to Roy as he exited.

"…Um…if you need the time to be alone, Richard, you need not hurry to return--"

"No, Kori, it's fine…I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He took out his keys and walked over to his bike.

"Um…okay. I shall see you when you get home."

"Okay. Bye." Richard shut his cell and put his helmet on.

"Goodbye." She put the phone down on the dining table and sighed. She was sitting down in her favorite purple dress. The table was set for two, their dinner of linguine with shrimps and mushrooms in a cream sauce sitting there, untouched. It was Richard's favorite, and she had been trying for the past three days to perfect the recipe, and she had finally got it just right tonight. Kori watched as a drop of wax slid down one of the red candles she had lit nearly two hours ago. The flame still continued to burn, but it was getting smaller and smaller, just like the flame inside her heart. It was only a matter of time before they both finally went out.

**Well, this was a long one, huh? Yeah…that's why I took a while to update. I wasn't really planning for this chapter to be so long, but I put a lot more dialogue into it than what I was originally going to do. But when I write, I kinda just make it up as I go along, and I found while I was writing it that it was kinda necessary to put all that in to make it flow nicely. But it's done now…that's why I'm celebrating!**

**I hope I wrote Wally, Roy, and Garth out okay…hope they didn't seem too OOC. I think the next chapter will be shorter than this one…but I don't exactly know what I'm gonna write for it yet. The fourth chapter is the one that's killing me, because I already have the last two chapters planned…sort of. But I'll update as soon as I can. Thing is, school is coming around again, and I still have a crap load of AP homework to do…waah.**

**Anyway, please review! I love to hear feedback on my writing!**


	4. Awake

**Chapter 4! Only two more to go…woo hoo! Hehe…Well, I finished this one in only a couple of hours compared to a couple of days; I finally sat down and got to work on updating this story. So yeah…it's short…shorter than what I had originally been planning. I cut out the second half of it…after the part where this leaves off, I was going to continue on to the next day and have Richard encounter a villain from the Titans past on the street (it was going to be Red X) and then have some action, some drama, you know…but then I felt it would make this chapter way too long, and it was kind of unnecessary to the development of the story, so I'm cutting that out entirely.**

**I didn't want this one as long as the last chapter, so yeah…I'm happy that it's only six pages!**

**And as usual: Robin=**Richard Grayson, **Starfire=**Kori Anders, **Beast Boy=**Garfield Logan, **Cyborg=**Victor Stone, **Raven=**Raven (lol..that wasn't necessary), **Bumblee=**Karen Beecher, **Speedy=**Roy Harper, **Aqualad=**Garth, **Kid Flash=**Wally West

**This chapter is dedicated to **Tomas the Betrayer **for being the first to review the last chapter…thanks a lot for your support and advice! And also, once again, thanks to **DeathIsOnlyTheBeginin!

**Disclaimer: Not mine! Just the storyline…**

_You say you're looking for someone who will promise never to part  
Someone to close his eyes for you, someone to close his heart  
Someone who will die for you and more  
But it ain't me, babe, no, no, no, it ain't me, babe  
It ain't me you're looking for, babe  
_**-Bob Dylan, _It Ain't Me, Babe_**

The sun shone into the living room where Kori was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a photo album. It was full of pictures of her and her friends when they were still Titans, the best memories of her life. She smiled as she found one with all of them in it, at a picnic at the park. Everyone was smiling and having a good time, even Raven. She sighed, missing those days dearly. She sometimes found herself wishing things could go back to the way they used to be.

"Aww, look at that…you're all grown up now, Koriand'r."

Her head shot up, eyes widening at who was floating several feet away from her.

"…_Blackfire?"_

"Miss me? After all, it's been so long…" She landed and took a few steps toward her. Kori got to her feet quickly as she came closer and stopped.

"Why are you here? I thought you were--"

"What, gone? Finished? Hah…don't tell me you thought your little 'banishment' would keep me away…besides, I'm your _dear sister."_

Kori's eyes began to glow green as she glared at her. "What do you want, sister?"

Blackfire began to circle her, each step slow and precise. "I can't just drop in to check on you? Do I really offend you that much?"

Her look intensified as she took a firm stance, her hands beginning to glow with energy. "Every time we cross paths, you become nothing but trouble for me…I do not want you here, in my home!"

She stopped, turning to observe her surroundings. "Speaking of which," she began, "You have a nice little place here…a yellow house with a white picket fence, and tulips planted all over the place. Cute."

"Please…just tell me what it is you have come for, sister!" Kori implored.

She looked at her for a moment, amused. "Calm down, Starfire." She sat herself down on an armchair, legs crossed. "I'm not here to fight you; I don't have any despicable plan to extract vengeance from you…for now, at least."

Kori still stood there, tense and apprehensive. But when she saw that her sister really had no intention of doing anything, she lowered her guard down, the glow of her hands and eyes disappearing. She still chose to remain standing in the middle of the room, just in case.

Blackfire looked up from inspecting her nails. "…Better? Good…Now I can get to business." Her eyes wandered to a photo frame on the small table beside her chair. It was a picture of Kori and Richard in a restaurant, their first date together as an official couple. "Tell me, Kori…how is your relationship with your darling Robin?"

"…Why is that of any interest to you?" she asked, suspicious.

"Just wondering." She picked up the frame, running a finger along the edge. "You know, the two of you seemed so happy when I last saw you; you seemed like such a lovely couple. And I heard your third anniversary just passed…congrats. But it is strange…" She put it back down on the table, turning back to face her. "I wasn't expecting to find you alone. Where is the boy wonder, by the way?"

Kori narrowed her eyes, her voice dangerously low. "If you are planning to hurt him in any way--"

"I already told you I wasn't. I'm just…taking an interest in my baby sister's love life, that's all. Nothing unusual about that, right?" Kori didn't answer, but continued to watch her through narrowed eyes.

Blackfire looked at her before letting out a sigh. "You know, Starfire, you are _way_ too stubborn for your own good. I thought you would have changed after all these years, but you're still as small-minded as ever…you're so caught up in your own little world that you can't see the truth, even when it's right…in…front of you."

She was confused. "What do you mean?"

Her sister gave her a small, mocking smile. "See, exactly what I was talking about." She finally stood, Kori instinctively taking a step back. "I told you I wasn't here for trouble, and yet you refuse to accept that and treat me with all the contempt in the world." She looked her up and down before shrugging, crossing her arms and turning her back on her. "You know, I don't know why I even bothered with this in the first place. The moment I open my mouth, you'll just deny everything I tell you."

Kori raised an eyebrow, curious. "…And what, exactly, was it that you wished to speak to me about?"

Blackfire smirked, knowing she had caught the bait. She turned around. "First you have to promise me you'll let me finish…no matter how much you don't like what you hear." She hesitated before nodding slowly.

"Good. Now, I want you to tell me, and mind you, this is a yes or no question...I don't want an excuse, an explanation, just a _yes_ or a _no._" She gave her a look, as if to say, 'Understand?'

Kori nodded. "Okay. Tell me…Do you still love Robin?"

Her sister looked at her, even more confused. What kind of question was that? "…I do not see why you--"

"Just answer the question, Koriand'r."

"…_Yes._ Of course, yes, I _do_ love Robin, with all my heart--"

She put a hand up, silencing her. "That's enough, thanks." She paused, looking at her curiously before continuing. "Now tell me this…Does Robin still love _you?"_

Kori was about to respond with the obvious answer but stopped. Did Robin still love her? It had never occurred to her to think of anything besides it being true. Robin loved her; he always had, and he always will. But as much as she wanted to ignore it, she couldn't shake off the feelings that had been eating at her lately. His long absences from home, his strange detachment from her…Raven had told her he would open up to her in time, but it didn't seem like it would happen any time soon. Something was bothering him…and every day, every time he refused to return her kisses, every time he walked out the door…she felt more and more that what was bothering him…was _her._

"I…"

Blackfire smirked once again. "Not as easy to answer as you thought, huh?" Kori was silent as she continued. "You know, I never blamed you for falling for him…he really is the kind of guy that any girl would _die _to have. At first, when I first met your friends, I had my eye on him for quite a while…"

Kori glared as she chuckled. "Don't get too excited, I'm way over him…he's too much of a good-two-shoes for me, anyway." She stopped, reconsidering. "Actually…maybe he isn't so goody-two-shoes after all."

She gave her another puzzled look. "He is a good person; I do not understand what you--"

"Are you so sure about that, sister? Because you know, if I were you, I'd do more to question his…loyalty, especially as of late."

Her eyes widened slightly. "…W-What are you saying, sister?"

She stopped walking around, standing still and crossing her arms. "You still have no idea where he's going during his frequent 'alone time', do you? Well, actually, neither do I," she said with a laugh. "But I can guess…"

Kori's shot forward, floating right in front of her sister's face, eyes glowing. "He is not doing what you are implying! He is not like that, he would _never_--"

"Oh, 'never' is such a strong word," Blackfire said, not the least intimidated by her sister's anger. "You have too much faith in him, Starfire…I'm not so sure he has just as much faith in _you."_

She grabbed her sister by the arms, shoving her against a wall. "I will no longer stand for your trickery!" she yelled, one hand around her neck, the other drawn back, glowing with energy. "You will leave this house, _now!"_

"Don't get so angry," she said, a slight smile still on her face. She wasn't even trying to fight back. "I only speak the truth…the truth I know you deny, you _refuse, _to see. Open your eyes, sister. Open them and _wake up."_

Kori shut her eyes tightly, her emotions building up inside her as her words repeated in her head. 'Open your eyes and wake up…wake up…wake up…wake…up…

"Wake up…Kori, wake up." She felt someone's hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. She slowly opened her emerald eyes.

"Ugh…Richard?" she mumbled tiredly.

He gave her a small smile. "Hey," he spoke, softly. "I'm sorry didn't come home earlier…I was at Roy's and--"

She put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "It is okay, I understand," she said, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. It was dark, the only light coming from the red candlesticks she'd lit long ago. She was still at the dining table in the kitchen, apparently having fallen asleep while waiting for him. She looked down at the plates of untouched food. He followed her gaze.

"Oh, Kori, I'm sorry…you must've worked so hard making all this."

She slowly got up, moving her stiff legs around. "No…it is all right. I am sure it will still be good tomorrow, we may consume it then…" She picked up the plates and went over to the counter to cover them. He stared at her back, her odd behavior startling him. She wasn't her usual happy, joyous self; instead, she was completely calm and seemed slightly…depressed? Or maybe it was disappointment…although he couldn't blame her for that, seeing as he'd been such a disappointment all day long.

"Kori…" He stood, walking over to the fridge, where she was putting the food away. She shut the door and straightened up as he came over, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm…I'm really sorry for the way I've acted, not just today, but for the past few weeks now. I know I've been a complete ass and you have every right to be upset with me--"

"Richard, I am not upset with you." She said in a small but serious voice as she brushed him off and walked away. "It is okay, I am fine."

"No." He cut in front of her, blocking her path. She sighed, looking at him with tired eyes. "Kori, it's not alright…none of this is, and you know it. Hell, it was our _third anniversary_ today, and I wasn't even _here_ for you! Please don't tell me you're fine when I know you're not."

"…Richard--"

"Please, just listen to me, okay? There's...there's something I've wanted to tell you, for a _long_ time now. And I think it's finally time I did. It's been…haunting me, and I just…I need to get this off my chest." He swallowed as he looked up at her. '…Here goes nothing,' he thought. He took a deep breath and before he could say anything more, she stopped him.

"I am…very weary right now, and I am not feeling so well. Do you suppose that whatever you need to say could wait until tomorrow?"

Surprised, he answered, "…Um…Star, it's _really_ important--"

"_Please…" _He looked into her pleading eyes, which were so full of hurt and misery that he couldn't resist.

"O-okay, then…" She walked around him and exited, going upstairs to their bedroom.

He stood there for a moment before sighing, repeating his habit of running his hands through his dark hair. He plopped down on one of the chairs at the dining table, his head in his hands.

He really wasn't planning on telling her tonight, no. But his talks with Raven and Roy together pushed him to face his fears and just do it. And he almost did…but Kori's sudden change in mood had stopped him dead in his tracks. She was sad, heartbroken almost, and whether or not it was because of him, he felt bad about it. Seeing the look in her eyes made him lose all the courage he'd been able to round up on his drive home. It had shattered with just that one look. He didn't want to make her feel any worse than she already did tonight.

'I'm sorry, Raven,' he thought. 'I couldn't do it…but I will. Once I get the chance to…I will.'

Upstairs, Kori was already changed into her nightgown, staring into her vanity and brushing her long red hair. The dream she'd had was a turning point for her, a true wake up call. She couldn't hide from any of this anymore. It was time to open her eyes.

She finished, putting the brush down and heading towards the bed. As she slipped under the comforter and shut off the lamp, she had one last thought. Richard had been right; none of this was okay, none of it was alright. But his insisting that she was upset with him was not completely true, for it wasn't mainly him she was upset with…it was herself.

**So…there you go! A bit more focus on Starfire this time around…actually, I enjoyed writing Blackfire's part in this…I thought it was going to be hard to write her, but she was the one I found easiest to do, surprisingly. Next chapter is going to be harder to write since everyone who's in the aliases list at the top will be there…but I look forward to it! And it's probably going to be a long one...maybe longer than ch. 3, I don't know yet...**

**Please review!**


	5. Waiting

**Woo hoo, Chapter 5! Just one more to go…Well, I know that it's been a while…a long while…but I'm back! Yes…graduation was last Sunday and so now I have a very long summer before college starts…so I plan to give most of my attention to working on my stories (finally). Up until when I have to leave for Florida (end of June)…HOSA national conference in Orlando…ugh, I'm just excited to go to Disney World! Haha…and then when I get back, I'm starting on my health career internship, five days a week :( But hopefully I'll be able to find some writing time when I'm at home! 'Cause I seriously need to get working on my other story, too, ****The Caged Bird****.**

**Anyway, I hope to finish this one soon, maybe by the end of this week or the next.**

**The aliases: Robin=**Richard Grayson, **Starfire=**Kori Anders, **Beast Boy=**Garfield Logan, **Cyborg=**Victor Stone, **Raven=**Raven (lol..that wasn't necessary), **Bumblee=**Karen Beecher, **Speedy=**Roy Harper, **Aqualad=**Garth, **Kid Flash=**Wally West

**This chapter is dedicated to **JadeDarkness **for being the first to review the last chapter!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine…aww.**

_Go melt back in the night  
Everything inside is made of stone  
There's nothing in here moving  
And anyway I'm not alone  
_**-Bob Dylan, _It Ain't Me, Babe_**

Richard stood in front of the vanity in the bedroom, using gel to style his messy hair back, away from his face. He glanced at the clock next to the bed. It was already 4:40, and they were supposed to be at the restaurant by five. 'I swear, she's been in there for almost an hour.' As if she'd heard his thoughts, Kori emerged from the bathroom, looking as perfect and pretty as she always does. Before he could get a word in, she walked past him, saying, "I think I have left my lipstick in my other hand bag downstairs. I will not take long." She left the room, her lavender dress flowing out behind her.

He stared at the doorway for a moment before sighing and falling backwards onto the bed. Since the night he came home from Roy's house, Kori had been acting different towards him. She was still graciously polite, but the unbounded joy that usually radiated from her had all but disappeared. She now only spoke to him if she really needed to, not just for the fun of it. She treated him as if he were just a guest in their house and not her long-time boyfriend. He rarely ever saw Kori acting so standoffish and distant. He enjoyed quiet, but the awkward silence that had filled their house put him on edge.

'What if she knows…?' He pondered for a while as he stared up at the ceiling. He had a slight feeling of dread at the thought. _He_ wanted to be the one to tell her the truth; if someone else had gotten to it before him...

The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He slowly sat up and answered. "Hello?"

"Let me guess…you haven't told her yet, right?"

"Rae…"

"Don't even start with me, Rich. I _told _you to tell her the truth, the truth about everything. Roy even called me last night and told me you two had a talk about it. He's worried about what's going on between the two of you because he saw Kori at the supermarket the other day, depressed. Kori's _never _depressed, Richard."

He clenched his eyes shut, rubbing his left temple. "…I know. I know I should've said something, but…"

"You chickened out?"

"No, I…I was going to tell her when I came home that night from Roy's house. But…you weren't _there_, Rae. You didn't see the look on her face. When I came in, she was just…completely different from how she was earlier in the day. I couldn't tell her then. She looked so beat up already."

"Well, I wouldn't blame her if her supposedly committed boyfriend kept leaving her alone every second of the day…_especially _on their anniversary."

"You're making me feel worse than I already am."

"Well what do you expect, Richard!" Her voice was raised slightly. Raven was usually reserved and didn't get too involved in other people's problems. But Kori was dear to her, and this drama had been going on for far too long. She was sick of it. "It's obvious that she can't take it anymore. She might not have known something was up with you, but with the way you've been acting for the past couple of months…she may be naïve, but she's not _stupid, _Richard. She would've suspected something was wrong eventually. I mean, you think she enjoys being lonely? She's _Starfire_, Rich… she might have been willing to endure it at first because she loves you that much, but even she has her breaking point."

"That's why I feel so bad, Rae." Richard brought up his left arm and put his hand on his forehead. "Since I started leaving more and more often, I knew how it was affecting her; even when she smiled, I could still tell. But now it's like…I don't know. Something happened that night to her. She just…hasn't been the same since."

There was a brief silence on the phone before Raven spoke. "I think…Kori's just tired of pretending anymore. And to be honest…so am I, Richard."

He grimaced. Through her usual monotone, he'd detected a slight but genuine sound of pain in her voice. He had never wanted to hurt anyone, and yet now, two of his closest friends were miserable because of him. How could things have gone so wrong?

'I'm a coward,' he thought, ashamed of himself. 'I'm Richard Grayson, _Robin,_ for crying out loud. I've hunted down psychopaths and murderers. I've single-handedly taken on some of the worst super villains to have ever set foot in this city. I've been through things people have only seen in movies and TV. Hell, I even survived the end of the world. But I can't even pluck up the courage to just say how I really feel to Kori. God, I'm pathetic.' He let out a breath. "…I'm sorry, Rae. That's all I can say right now. I never…I never meant for _any _of this to happen."

"I know you didn't. You're a good, sincere person. You just…"

"Made one really bad decision?"

She gave a small laugh. "To say the least, yes…just hope that it's not too late to fix things, Rich."

'That's what I'm afraid of.' He heard footsteps coming down the hall. "I have to go," he whispered.

"I'll see you there. Just remember, Rich. Please." He put the phone down as Kori walked inside.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded, grabbing their present for Karen off the bureau and walked back out, without so much as a glance in his direction. His eyes saddened as he grabbed his jacket and followed her out.

TT

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Victor teased as he let Richard and Kori in to the room they'd reserved. The party was being held at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city, and Victor had booked their biggest and most elegant room, complete with a chandelier and velvet curtains.

"Sorry we're late, there was a bit of traffic." He handed their bag with their gift in it to Victor.

"Hey, at least you're here, man." He smiled as he hugged Kori.

"Are you okay, Victor?" Kori asked, worriedly, as she pulled away. "Garfield told me you were ill…"

"Aw, I'm alright," he assured her. "My nose is still kinda stuffy, but other than, it's all good."

She smiled and proceeded to head towards the other guests. The two guys followed eventually, still talking.

"This is all really great, Vic, but…didn't Karen want something a bit more simple?" Richard asked, looking around at all the posh and luxurious decorations.

"Yeah, I know she ain't the kind of girl that cares about stuff like this, but it's her birthday, you know? I wanted to do something special for her…she really deserves it." Vic replied.

Richard smiled. Ever since they were teenagers, Vic and Karen had been deeply and truly in love. He knew how much Vic cared for her; he would drive miles from Jump City all the way out to the Titans East tower just to see Karen. Now they were finally living together, married and happier than ever.

"So…" he began, eyeing the expensive looking silverware on the dining tables. "Karen's okay with how much you had to spend for all this?"

"Uh…well, like I said, she deserves it…heh," Vic rubbed the back of his head nervously as Richard smirked.

"Dude, you're finally here!" They turned to see their green friend coming over. "We thought you and Kori got lost or something!"

"Nah, it was just traffic…" Richard looked around. "Where's Karen, anyway? I still haven't wished her a happy birthday…"

"She's around here somewhere…oh, right there. Karen!" Victor called her over. She turned and seeing Richard smiled and made her way across the room. Her short yellow dress and black heels reminded him of her days as Bumblebee.

"I almost thought you weren't coming, Rich," She said as he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"And miss your birthday? I'd never," he smiled.

"Really though, thanks for coming…I haven't seen you and Kori in ages!"

"Yeah, it's been a while…" He spotted Kori sitting down at table, chatting with Toni and Kole. She was laughing and looking happy enough, but thanks to his keen sense of observation, he could tell she was putting on a front.

"Why don't you get something to drink? The food won't be out until about half an hour," Karen said, looking at the wall clock.

"Er, I think that's a good idea…you should go save Roy before he gets a bit too…_tipsy_," Gar pointed out with a snicker at Roy slouching over the counter at the mini-bar, drink in hand.

Richard shook his head as he made his way over to the red head. Seeing him coming over, Roy straightened up and put down his glass. He sat down, patting the stool beside him. Richard sat, eyeing him. "…You're not drunk yet, are you?"

"Haha, no…well, not _yet_, anyway. Just a bit tired." Roy took another sip. "Having anything?"

He shook his head. "I'm driving tonight…don't want to take any risks."

Roy smirked. "You're always the cautious one, eh? Such a good boy…"

"Let me guess. Wally's dropping you off?"

He took gulped the rest of it down. "Yup. That won't stop him from having a few, though. Doesn't matter anyway; alcohol doesn't affect him that much. It just speeds right through his system, the lucky bastard."

"I wouldn't look at it that way; I mean, what's the point of getting drunk if you only last that way for a few minutes?"

"True…" Roy got another drink and sipped it. They were quiet for a few moments until Roy spoke again. "So…Rae Rae tells me that you haven't said a word to Kori about it yet."

Richard looked at the floor. "Yeah…I was going to, but...it didn't happen."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm very disappointed in you, Richard John Grayson," he scolded mockingly, wagging his finger.

"You sound like an old grandmother."

Roy laughed. "Thanks a lot…but seriously, though…why are you still waiting around, man? I mean, I thought my speech that night was pretty encouraging," he said with mock pretension.

Richard sighed, plopping down on the stool beside him. "I really was going to tell her, Roy, but…you didn't see the look on her face. It was…she just seemed so…miserable already, I didn't want to make things worse."

"Richard, Richard, Richard," Roy said, looking at him like a mother scolding her child. "How many times do I have to say this until it gets to you? You say you don't want to hurt Kori, but the longer you wait, the more pain you end up putting her in. You think that by keeping the truth from her, you're protecting her, but really…it's the opposite. The longer you wait, the longer the two of you have to suffer. And you don't want that, right?"

He shook his head. Roy sat there, waiting for a response, but after a few moments of silence, he stood, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Well…I'll leave you with that, Rich. Just…think about what I said. It's what I've _been _saying over and over," he laughed. "And I'm sure it's what Raven has been trying to drill past your thick skull, too." He laughed and jumped out of the way as Richard aimed for his side. "And speaking of the devil…"

Richard turned around to where Roy was facing, seeing Raven coming towards them. "Shall I leave you two lovebirds alone, then?" Roy winked as he walked over to Raven, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Maybe _you _can knock some sense into him, Rae Rae? You were always the only one who ever could." And with that, Roy off to chat with the rest of Karen's guests.

Richard looked at her as she sat down next to him, crossing her legs in a midnight blue halter gown. "You look gorgeous," he said with a smile.

"Thanks…" She propped her elbow on the bar, her chin resting on her hand as she studied him. He waited for a few moments for her to speak, but after a few more seconds of awkward silence, he fidgeted in his stool.

"So…" he began.

"So…" she echoed back. "…Has the boy wonder gotten his confidence back yet?"

He smiled at the use of his old nick name. "Yeah well…I'm trying, Raven. I really am, it's just…"

She let out an impatient sigh. "It's just _what_ this time, Richard? What is it now?" He could tell she was reaching the end of her rope, and he felt bad for upsetting her so much. But he knew she was right…it was time to stop giving excuses and, as Roy would say, "man up".

"I want to tell her…I want to, so badly. I _need _to get this off my chest…" But he stopped. Raven looked at him, knowing exactly what was wrong. She knew him long enough to be able to do that, something few others could with Richard.

"…You care too much about other people's feelings, Richard. You worry too much about whether or not you're hurting someone, especially the ones you love. I think…perhaps it's because you spent so long looking out for others, protecting them, watching over them as Robin, that you forgot to look out for the one person that matters the most…yourself." He looked up at her as she gave him one of her rare, kind smiles, putting her hand gently over his. "Don't ever forget that you matter, too, Rich…your happiness matters, too."

He looked at her for a moment before smiling, giving her a big hug. "…You've always been so good at saying exactly what I need to hear," he whispered in her ear. "Thank you."

She hugged him back before pulling away. "Now…I think maybe you need a bit of fresh air to clear up your thoughts." Before he could protest, she grabbed his hand and led him across the room to the balcony. She pushed him towards the open door. "Go," she said. "I'll be here, waiting."

He gave her a confused look, but she refused to say anything more. He walked past her out onto the stone floor of the balcony. He took a deep breath, taking in the cool night air, letting it fill him up. She was right; it felt nice to escape the warmness of the stuffy room. He walked forward, leaning on the balustrade, letting his eyes soak in the view of the beautiful gardens below him, the twinkling city lights in the distance. It was quiet…very peaceful.

"…Richard?"

He turned to see Kori standing at the other end of the balcony, surprise on her face. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the glass doors close, the curtains drawing together. He shook his head, a small smile on his face at Raven's trick. But as he turned back to Kori, it faded away, seeing the look of anticipation, uncertainty, but overall sadness on her face.

For what seemed like eternity, they stood there, several feet away from each other, staring. Just staring at each other. Standing…staring…waiting.

**Hmm…I don't think I'm one hundred percent happy with this chapter. Feels a bit rushed towards the end to me…well, what do you guys think? Tell me by sending me a review! **

**Next chapter is the last one…and, as you can guess, it's pretty much gonna be between Richard and Kori… at last, the final confrontation! The tension! The drama! The suspense! Haha…well, it's not that big…I'm just happy the story is finally coming to a conclusion! I'm still pondering over other story ideas I have swimming around in my mind…especially since I started watching Boys Over Flowers, I have been getting a lot of ideas for new stories :)**

**But of course, first thing's first…I need to work on ****The Caged Bird****. But that one isn't ending any time soon….it's gonna be a while until I get to finish it. In the meantime, I hope to start on more short stories like this one in the upcoming weeks!**

**Now, please review! Tell me what you think!**


	6. Release

**K, so I have my laptop, a batch of Krispy Kreme donuts from Maui, and a load of free time…****I'm ready to finish this!**

**Aliases, for the last time: ****Robin=**Richard Grayson, **Starfire=**Kori Anders, **Beast Boy=**Garfield Logan, **Cyborg=**Victor Stone, **Raven=**Raven (lol..that wasn't necessary), **Bumblee=**Karen Beecher, **Speedy=**Roy Harper, **Aqualad=**Garth, **Kid Flash=**Wally West

**I almost forgot about Babs (Batgirl/Oracle=**Barbara "Babs" Gordon) **I included her a little in this chapter, just 'cause I thought it'd be fun to put her in, too. And I think I mention Kole **(Kole Weathers)**, Jericho **(Joseph Wilson...Slade's son, something I wish they had put in the show XD)**, and The Herald **(Mal Duncan) **in here somewhere as well…**

**This chapter is dedicated to **DeathIsOnlyTheBeginin…**thanks for being the first to review chapter 5 and for always giving me great advice and suggestions! And thanks to "Sheryl" for…procrastinating on your homework last year (haha) and reading this…I appreciate it…I guess? (lol don't shoot me XD)**

**Disclaime****r: The fact that I'm not a millionaire right now is enough proof that I don't own the Teen Titans.**

You say you're lookin' for someone who'll pick you up each time you fall  
To gather flowers constantly and to come each time you call  
A lover for your life and nothing more  
But it ain't me, babe, no, no, no, it ain't me, babe  
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe

**-Bob Dylan, **_**It Ain't Me, Babe**_

"Seriously, hun," Karen looked around at all the fancy décor. "You _really _didn't need to do any of this…I would've been fine with a simple dinner at home and-"

Victor put up a hand, interrupting her. "No," he said, shaking his head. "You deserve this, Bee. It's your birthday, and I want you, even if it's just for a day, to feel like…well, like a princess."

"But Vic, it's too much, and how-"

"It's okay, babe…I got it. It's taken care of. Don't worry about a thing…" He trailed off as he saw another guest entering the room, slowly, in a wheelchair. He smiled.

"Hey Babs," he knelt down, giving her one of his signature bear hugs. Pulling back, the woman brushed her red head bangs out of her glasses, sitting back in her chair.

"It's been too long," she said, smiling.

"Amen to that," said Karen as she bent over, kissing her on the cheek and enveloping her in another hug.

"Happy Birthday, Care Bear." She handed her a small gift wrapped in periwinkle.

"Aww…thanks, hun," she said. "So, how've you been? You look great!"

"Heheh, thanks…"

As the two women chatted, Vic turned around, scanning the room. "I wonder where the hell Rich is…I know he'll be happy to see you, Babs."

"Hmm…actually, I don't think I've seen him for awhile, either. He must've ran off somewhere…" Karen looked around the room. "Hey, Roy!" The ex-archer looked up from where he was talking to a flirtatious blonde. He excused himself as he came over to the three.

"…What's up?"

"Do you know where Rich is? Babs just got here."

"Ah, Ms. Gordon," He got down on one knee, taking her left hand and kissing her on the knuckles as the woman rolled her eyes but smiled at his playfulness. "It is a _pleasure _to see you again."

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Harper," she said, playing along. "But since when did you become such a gentleman? So different from the bad little playboy I knew you to be…"

"Oh, those days are behind me," he said, nonchalantly. "As you can see, I'm _much _more mature now…"

"Hah…that's the funniest thing I've heard all day," Victor said as Roy threw him a glare and Babs laughed.

"So have you seen him or not, Roy?" Karen asked again.

"Who?"

She slapped her forehead. "_Richard_."

"Smooth, Roy," Barbara said with a smirk.

"Heh…well, I slip up sometimes, but at least my attention span isn't as short Wally's," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, I haven't seen boy wonder for a while, actually…the last time I talked to him was like," he glanced at the clock on the wall. "Twenty minutes ago, at least."

"Sorry, he's a bit…preoccupied at the moment." They all turned to see Raven walk over. "He's taking care of some…personal business."

Concern spread on Karen's face. "Is Rich okay-?"

"He's fine," she cut in quickly. "Nothing to worry about…something just came up, is all. But depending on how long it takes, he may not be back for a while."

"Oh, it's alright," Barbara said. "I'll probably see him later on, anyway-"

"Babs! Awesome, you made it!" Garfield called, waving from across the room.

She smiled, waving back. "Wow…I didn't think it was possible, but Gar really grew."

"_Height_-wise." She laughed at Raven's comment.

"Well, I'll see you guys later then," Barbara said as Victor wheeled her towards their green friend, Karen following at their side.

When they were finally alone, Roy pulled her aside. "So…is he _finally _doing what I hope he's doing?"

Raven nodded. "I had to play a little trick, but yes, he's finally confronting Kori."

"Hallelujah," Roy sighed, looking towards the ceiling. "I was beginning to think it was a lost cause."

"Let's just hope that Richard uses this opportunity and finally comes clean. For both our sakes."

"Yeah. If not, I'm going to plan B: stealing his old bo staff and literally beating some sense into him."

"...I'd actually consider joining you on that one."

TT

Never in his whole life had Richard Grayson felt more awkward than he did now. Despite what others may think, he was always a clumsy mess when it came to relationships and feelings, not at all like the suave, cool playboy the public assumed him to be, as Robin the Boy Wonder and separately as Richard Grayson, adopted son of Bruce Wayne. He had learned for years to keep his emotions locked away, to never let them be used against him by any villain he faced. And so, whenever faced with situations like this, he was clueless about what in the world to do.

All that could be heard was the night breeze as it swept over the two on the balcony, and the occasional sound of a cricket or other insect in the garden below. Richard watched the wind rustle the leaves of the trees, unable to bring himself to look at the face of the woman in front of him. All he would see was pain and sadness, hurt that he knew he was the cause of.

'…What have I done?' The guilt on his shoulders felt so heavy that he could barely stand. He shook his head, reaching out a hand to grip the balustrade. He had felt guilt, many times before, when he had failed to defeat a criminal, and caused others to suffer. But this was different. Knowing that it was his fault, _his_ fault, for hurting someone dear to him, someone he treated not just as a friend, but as family…he would never forgive himself for this. And yet…he could not bring himself to fix it. He could not bring himself to do a single damn thing. His fist clenched. 'What's wrong with me?'

"…I am…sorry." He looked up. Her emerald eyes looked back at him, full of heavy sorrow. He gulped, but made himself speak.

"…Why, Kori? You….you don't have anything to apologize for."

"But I do, Richard. I…I am sorry for the way I have been acting towards you. I was just…very upset. But I have spoken to Raven about this, and I think I am ready to…to tell you how I feel."

Intrigued, he listened on. "Things are not okay between us, Richard. I have tried to deny it for as long as I could, but…I fear I am no longer able to go on pretending." She wrapped her arms around herself, turning to the scenery before them. "Richard, we are friends, are we not?"

"Of course, Star…that will never change."

"And if we are friends, then…you could speak to me about anything? And I to you?"

He nodded slowly. "Then…may I ask you one thing? And please, tell me what you truly feel." He nodded again, hesitant. She closed her eyes and breathed in, slowly letting it out. "…Are you happy, Richard?"

He bit his lip. He knew this was coming, but now that he had to face it…

He shook his head. No. Enough running, enough excuses, enough wimping out, enough of everything he purposefully put in his own way. He would do this, now. It was time to face the truth.

"…You're right. Things haven't been…so well between us. And I'm just as much to blame for pretending it's not as you are. Probably even more." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, trying to choose his words carefully. "I'm…sorry, Starfire. I really am…but…I'm not. I'm…not happy…"

He watched as her shoulders sank. She had hoped. Against such unbelievable odds, against what everything, even her heart, had been telling her…she had still clung onto the hope that maybe it was all wrong. She had always been that way since she was a child. No matter what was taken from her, she was able to lose it all…except hope. But no. Her worst fear had come true.

"Why…could you not tell me? Why did you not say anything?"

He laughed coldly, inside his head. The one question that came back to him so many times in the past few days. Why…why couldn't you, the fearless Robin…just tell her?

"…I didn't want to hurt you Kori. You…you're one of my dearest friends, almost like a sister to me…and I felt that if I told you, it would…I would lose your friendship. That you would _hate_ me. I was…such a coward," his voice became hard. "But please believe me, Kori…I'm not lying when I say that all I wanted to do was not hurt you, nothing else."

'But you have…' She felt her heart begin to break. Sighing, she spoke again. "…All I desire to know now, Richard…" She opened her eyes and faced him. "…is why. Why are you…why have come to be…so unhappy? Because if I have…done something wrong…"

His head shot up. Taking a step forward, he put an arm on her shoulder. "No. Kori, no, it's _not_ your fault, don't you ever think that."

"But…how can I not? All this time…you _were_ happy, Richard. But then…you would come home, and it would change…you would change. I never saw your smile anymore and never felt the joy I used to feel from you when were together before…" Her lips began to tremble. "It is as if…you don't want to be with me. Do you…" Her hands shook as she finally spoke the words that she thought she'd never say. "…do you not love me anymore, Richard?"

It hit him like a tidal wave. She knew…all this time, she knew, she felt it…she felt that what they once shared…had burned away. "…I'm…I'm so sorry, Kori."

Her heart shattered. Before coming here, she had prepared herself for things to come to this, but still…the feeling that her world was falling apart overwhelmed her. Kori had always been the kind of person to act on her instincts, on what she felt immediately. And the first thing that came to mind, the strongest desire she had at that moment was… to fall to her knees. To beg Richard not to leave her…to apologize for everything she did or may have done to hurt him, to hold on to him…to hold on to the hope that they would be…could still be…happy…

Her eyes widened. Happy…Richard…was _not_ happy. She stumbled slightly, and Richard, surprised, leapt forward to catch her in his arms. "Kori, are you ok…?"

But she did not hear him as she came to another sharp realization. 'He…he isn't happy…' Kori loved Richard. She loved him more than anyone in this world, in this universe. And she wanted him…since the day they met, she wanted to be with him, forever. But as the years went by, and Kori began to know him better, to learn about his past and the pain that he carried with him...she had another desire. A desire that grew stronger and stronger each day…from the experiences with Red-X, to Slade forcing Robin to become his apprentice, to facing Raven's demonic father and the end of the world, to the fight against the Brotherhood of Evil…this became the greatest desire she held in her heart. She wanted, above all else, for Richard to be happy. And, though she wished it wouldn't happen, if he could not be happy with her…then…she would accept it. Because she loved him.

Tears came to her eyes, and a sad smile spread on her face as she knew what she had to do. Richard stared at her, confused. "Kori…what-?"

"I…I love you, Richard. You know this, yes?" He nodded slowly. "And this is why…I have to let you go…" Hearing the words felt strange to her…but she knew it was right.

He was taken aback. "…I-I don't understand."

She continued to smile sadly as their eyes met. "It is clear to me…it has been, although it took me so long to see it, that this is not what you want. I had hoped-" Her voice cracked, but she swallowed the pain. "It was…selfish of me to think that things would become different, as long as I waited. I know who you really are, Richard…and this is not it. For this…please, forgive me."

"Kori-"

She put a hand up. "You no longer have the love for me that you once did…perhaps because someone else has, as you say here, 'stolen your heart'?" He swallowed, and began to apologize, but she shook her head, smiling. "It is ok…just, please promise me…that you will be happy, Richard?" She looked at him deep in his blue eyes. He stared for a moment…and then smiled, embracing her. "Thank you, Kori."

She sighed as the tears fell from her face. "Please," she whispered, so softly that he barely heard. "Please, be happy…"

TT

"_So_…" Roy sat at a table with Wally, Garth, and Raven, yet another drink in hand. "What did you finally end up getting Karen, Unitard Guy?"

Garth glared as Raven rolled her eyes and Wally just sat, confused. "Well, _Robin_," Roy frowned, to which the fish boy smirked at. "I remembered how, when were still together as Titans East, she lost her copy of her favorite movie. It was even signed by one of the actors from the film. So, even though it was kind of difficult, I managed to get her another copy, autographed and all." He sat back, arms crossed, satisfied with his gift.

"So who signed it? Tom Hanks?" Roy asked.

"…huh?" Garth looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You know, from Cast Away? Karen's favorite movie?"

Garth's jaw dropped. "…_what?"_

Wally looked back and forth between them. "I'm confused, too…I thought Titanic was her favorite movie, I even helped him look for a copy signed by Leonardo di Caprio…"

Roy's face fell. He shook his head. "Oh man…you're in trouble. Karen _hates_ Titanic, she never watches it…says its way too sappy and dramatic." Garth looked as if he was about to faint. The ex-archer put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, she hasn't opened any of her gifts yet…maybe you still have some time to find where Vic put them all and get rid of it before she opens it and…"

"Kills me?" Garth groaned, clenching his obsidian eyes shut. He stood, running a hand through his hair as he left. The three watched, one with pity, one frowning, and one amused.

Raven threw Roy a look. "Will you ever grow up?"

Roy smirked. "It's just fun to mess with him."

"Darn…I could have sworn Titanic was her favorite…" Wally mused, forehead burrowed.

Raven sweatdropped as Roy laughed. "Wally…Titanic _is _Karen's favorite movie."

"…So…" His eyes widened in realization. The speedster threw Roy a grin. "Wow…you are _terrible_."

"I'm flattered." He took a sip from his drink. "But I don't think I'm the only one here who's pulled some naughty pranks."

"Yeah…" Wally stopped, getting the hint that Roy wasn't talking about him. "Hey, _Raven_…"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think you could tell me what this thing on the menu says? It's in French and I have no idea how to read it."

She reached out her hand to take the menu from him. Squinting her eyes to read the small print, she read the dish description in French and then translated it to English.

"Hah!" He pointed a finger accusingly. "So you were lying all along, weren't you?"

She looked at him, eyebrow raised. "What are you on about now?"

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is whenever I go out somewhere and forget to put my phone on silent, and then it goes off with 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?' huh?"

She stared…and then laughed, remembering what he was talking about. "Are you serious, Wally? You _still _haven't fixed that yet?"

"Do you _think _I know French, Rae?"

"Hey." Roy cut in, completely serious. The two stopped, and looked in the direction his green eyes were focused. Raven frowned as the three stood. Richard and Kori walked back in from the balcony, his arm around a teary-eyed Kori. In a flash, Wally stood by her, handing her a handkerchief.

"Kori, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

She sniffed as she thanked him, dabbing at her eyes. "Do not worry…I am…fine. They are…the 'tears of joy.'"

Roy and Raven walked over to them. "You're sure you're okay?" Wally asked as she nodded.

"I think Kole is waving you over, Wally." Richard said, looking at the crystal-spinner waving at them from across the room.

"Ah, ok…" He turned back. "You're _sure-_"

"Just go, Wally." Raven said, shooing him away, while Kori nodded, smiling.

After he left, Raven and Roy turned to the two.

"So is…everything okay between you?" Roy asked, eyeing them. "No hard feelings?"

Richard nodded while Starfire looked at him, surprised. "You knew, Roy?"

"Oh, um…yeah, Rich kinda told me about it at my house the other day…" He suddenly turned serious again, rounding on Richard. "You _did _tell her the truth, right? Not being a total wuss as usual-"

She giggled as he hit the redhead on the shoulder. "Yes, he did tell me, thankfully."

"And…?" Raven asked.

She closed her eyes, a peaceful smile on her face. "I understand. We…have decided it is best that we 'go our separate ways'…" Richard's arm tightened around her. Roy nodded slowly while Raven stood, silent. She turned her gaze to Richard.

"And how about you? Are you…okay?" The concern was evident in her voice. He smiled, putting a hand over hers. "Yeah…I'm fine. I think that now, for once…I feel at peace." Raven returned his smile.

Starfire watched the two carefully. What amazed her the most was the smile she saw Richard give Raven…a smile he only used to give her. A smile that she had not seen for a very long time. She knew that he would be okay…and knowing that it was Raven who now held his heart…instead of feeling bitter jealousy or hate, Starfire felt…relief. And pure joy. She stepped forward and hugged Raven tightly.

Raven stood, puzzled. Kori whispered in her ear, "Please take care of him, Raven. I wish you two happiness…and love." She blushed as the alien princess stepped back. "I think I shall…join the rest of our friends." She walked over to where Gar was sitting with Joey and Mal, who had just arrived.

Richard gave Roy a look. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Aren't you gonna chase after her? Work your 'magic'?" He asked as Raven snorted.

"I feel sorry for Starfire…" Roy glared at her as Richard chuckled.

"Go, Roy," he pushed him forward. "Hurry before Garth beats you to it." He said, jokingly.

He stumbled. "…Wh-What?"

"Oh, you know…" Raven stepped in. "I heard he had his eye on Star, too, when we were younger…and now that she's single, well…"

His eyes widened as he jogged after Kori. Raven laughed to herself while Richard looked at her, confused.

"I was joking…"

"So was I. Just thought I'd help Garth get back at Roy for his little 'birthday gift trick'." Richard shook his head, having no idea what she meant but not bothering to prod further.

"So…" He took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. "What about us?"

"What _about _us?"

"Are we…ok? If you'll still have me, of course."

She smirked, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked over to an empty table. "Glad to see you know who's in charge in this relationship."

He scoffed. "I hope you're not talking about yourself."

"And so what if I was? You better watch it, or maybe I will consider 'having you' anymore, as you say."

He chuckled as they sat down. Putting an arm around her, he mumbled into her hair, "You're lucky I love you so much."

"Ditto." He smiled. His gaze moved to the other tables, where some of their friends were beginning to notice how cozy the two looked.

"Hmm…it seems we've attracted some onlookers." Raven said, following his gaze.

"Let them look. Frankly, I'm tired of having to pretend and hide anymore." He tilted her chin towards him. "I want them to know that now…I'm finally happy." He leaned down and their lips met.

Whistles and shouts sounded, and several people began clapping, including Kori. But Gar and Wally stood, together, mouths open in complete shock. "…What the hell is going on?"

**Tadaa! I can finally say that **_**It Ain't Me, Babe, **_**is finally done! Victory dance! (haha)…ah, man, I can't believe it took this long for me to finish…what was meant to be complete in a week has taken two years. T.T **

**And ah jeez, I'm **_**still **_**not completely happy with how this chapter came out…I've never been good with endings, to be honest XD I was really dreading having to write the huge confrontation between Richard and Kori…and the way it turned out felt like an ending to some bad chick flick But ah, I'm just happy that I was able to finish the story! Hopefully with practice my writing will improve…a hundred times better than how it is right now, haha.**

**Well, shoot me a review, por favor! Any helpful comments and critiques are welcome :) **

**Thank you to everyone who has read this story! It's been fun to take a break from the Caged Bird for a while, and write a story with the actual Titans in it, haha. Writing this has actually made me realize how much I liked writing Roy in this…he was the last person I thought I would enjoy writing, haha…maybe inspiration for writing a Roy Harper story? ;) haha, we'll see…tell me your thoughts on that, too! Do you think me making a Speedy story would be a good idea? I'm a devoted Rae/Rob shipper (as you can tell XD), but I've been interested in the Rae/Speedy pairing as well…what do you think? Should I go for it?**

**Thanks again, and now that this is done, I will definitely get back to the Caged Bird!**


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